Mash Tun, Keggle, HLT, converted beer keg - $180 - Should I buy?

What do you think of this sale?

Mash Tun, Keggle, HLT, converted beer keg

Do you think it is work $180. I know I can get an old keg for cheap and use the angle grinder to get the top off. I am not a welder though and considering the few other parts this has, just wondering if it is worth $180.

That's a decent price, and probably very close to what you'd pay if you built it yourself. I build mine, and here's a price rundown...tools included

Keg - $30 on CL
Angle Grinder - $15 at Harbor Freight
Griding Discs - $8
7/8" Hole Saw - $7
Weldless SS Ball Valve - $36
Weldless Thermometer - $29
TOTAL: $125

Plus, this guy has a welded coupling, which is more sturdy and "leak proof" than a weldelss setup. I'd offer $150 and just see what he says...can't hurt to ask.

seems just a bit on the high side.

as THB suggested I would offer $150
JJ

Jaybird said:

seems just a bit on the high side.

as THB suggested I would offer $150
JJ

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Also included in THB pricing was the angle grinder and discs, which I already have and brings the DIY cost to about $100

I may give him a call and see what he thinks instead of wasting both of our time going over there.

humann_brewing said:

Also included in THB pricing was the angle grinder and discs, which I already have and brings the DIY cost to about $100

I may give him a call and see what he thinks instead of wasting both of our time going over there.

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If you're a DIY kind of guy, I'd just build your own. It may take you a while to source a keg and get all the parts in, but in the end you'll spend less money and have a better equipped keggle. It's not a bad price, but you could get a fully equipped keggle/HLT/MLT with grain/hop screen and sight glass for $180. Like this one:

Shameless equipment shot:

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

If you're a DIY kind of guy, I'd just build your own. It may take you a while to source a keg and get all the parts in, but in the end you'll spend less money and have a better equipped keggle. It's not a bad price, but you could get a fully equipped keggle/HLT/MLT with grain/hop screen and sight glass for $180. Like this one:

Shameless equipment shot:

Click to expand...

That looks great. So I am really new to AG and homebrewing in general, what is the real purpose of the sight glass? So you see the wort, are you wanting to see it during the mash , boiling extraction or all of the above to see the color and know when the mash is done or something?

I have a mash tun currently and was thinking of this as a brew kettle or just another toy to have. I figure with a 15.5G keggle, I could do 10G batches (on a relatively low gravity beer) I currently have a 13G kettle.

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

If you're a DIY kind of guy, I'd just build your own. It may take you a while to source a keg and get all the parts in, but in the end you'll spend less money and have a better equipped keggle. It's not a bad price, but you could get a fully equipped keggle/HLT/MLT with grain/hop screen and sight glass for $180. Like this one:

Shameless equipment shot:

Click to expand...

Show off the lid, Show off the lid!!! LOL

Shameless DIY plug LOL

humann_brewing said:

That looks great. So I am really new to AG and homebrewing in general, what is the real purpose of the sight glass? So you see the wort, are you wanting to see it during the mash , boiling extraction or all of the above to see the color and know when the mash is done or something?

I have a mash tun currently and was thinking of this as a brew kettle or just another toy to have. I figure with a 15.5G keggle, I could do 10G batches (on a relatively low gravity beer) I currently have a 13G kettle.

Click to expand...

The one in the picture is actually my HLT...and the only one i really care about the water level in. Some people also like one in their mash tun, but I really only need to know how much sparge water to add. The only thing I have in my boil kettle is a SS ball valve and boil screen.

Jaybird said:

Show off the lid, Show off the lid!!! LOL

Shameless DIY plug LOL

Click to expand...

LOL, love that lid too! Thanks again for hooking me up!

So I was watching a how it's made last night on Discovery and it was about Beer of course Anyways, they had about 10 minutes in the middle of the show about homebrewing and they were in Chico I believe and talked about this guy that brews every Sunday afternoon outside of the LHBS. That wouldn't by any chance be one of you guys would it?

humann_brewing said:

So I was watching a how it's made last night on Discovery and it was about Beer of course Anyways, they had about 10 minutes in the middle of the show about homebrewing and they were in Chico I believe and talked about this guy that brews every Sunday afternoon outside of the LHBS. That wouldn't by any chance be one of you guys would it?

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That actually sounds like Forrest from Austin Homebrew! He's got quite a bit of video out there on YouTube. They don't brew outside of the LHBS here, or at least I've never seen it. Then again, I've only been brewing for about a year...who knows!

That keg looks pretty good, will save you quite a bit of time if you buy it. The only issue I see is that he mounted the valve over the drain hole, which is bad because flames or extra heat can come up through that hole and get that valve hotter than necessary, possibly melting the valve handle cover.

I heard that once the keg starts warming up, you can slip that handle cover off easy (with a rag, don't burn your hand), which will keep it from melting.

If you can get it for $150 or better, looks like a good deal to me.

humann_brewing said:

So I was watching a how it's made last night on Discovery and it was about Beer of course Anyways, they had about 10 minutes in the middle of the show about homebrewing and they were in Chico I believe and talked about this guy that brews every Sunday afternoon outside of the LHBS. That wouldn't by any chance be one of you guys would it?

Click to expand...

AWESOME! I live down the street from that HBS. I'm bringing my keg there tomorrow to convert to a kettle. Great business, they are very knowledgeable.

Primary: Amber Ale
Keg: Porter

"Why buy it when you can brew it better yourself"

Build it yourself. I bought a sight-glass/thermometer combo from BobbyM around xmas for about 50 bucks. The thermometer is pointless if you ask me.
Bought the keg-30
Had top cut out and 1.5" SS nipple installed at welding shop-30
Brass valve-3
7/8" hole saw-15
sightglass/thermo combo-50

128 but you can do it cheaper, and it's fun

oldschool said:

Build it yourself. I bought a sight-glass/thermometer combo from BobbyM around xmas for about 50 bucks. The thermometer is pointless if you ask me.
Bought the keg-30
Had top cut out and 1.5" SS nipple installed at welding shop-30
Brass valve-3
7/8" hole saw-15
sightglass/thermo combo-50

128 but you can do it cheaper, and it's fun

Click to expand...

Oldschool,
Why do you think the thermometer is pointless? do you feel it gives erroneous readings being so close to the flame? Or something else? Im curious because it was something i was planning on down the line.

Thanks,
Joe

I'm curious also. I'm assuming it's vessel based. Some find thermometers useless in boil kettles but I look at mine all the time to see if I should be watching for boil overs.

+1 on watching thermometer for boilovers.

I also use a whirlpool immersion chiller and watch for wort to drop below 140 so I can put a lid on the kettle then monitor temperature as it approaches yeast pitching temp.

I find my thermometer invaluable. Of course I only have one vessel which heats, holds, and boils. Gotta love that no-sparge process......

Edit: Oh, yeah and cools!

wow, talk about bringing back a old thread.

Sorry about that plug. I was trying to comment on the themometer issue on a BK. What I should have said is that the thermowell/sight-tube on MY BK works really well, and I wouldn't want any water vessel to be without one...